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The waves were crashing into the boat from all sides. Walls of water 15 feet (5 meters) high battered our craft like a child’s toy. Candidates held on to the sides for dear life, crossing themselves and praying for deliverance. Meanwhile in Punta Cana, we were getting ready to head out for some Open Water evaluation training. We kitted up (that’s European for putting together our gear) on the beach next to the resort’s dive shop. Alan started the day by imparting some thoughts on control. Think about it, when students do skills, they are usually on a sandy bottom or a platform with the instructor right in front of them. What about when touring or ascents or descents? This is when problems can occur. Read more about PADI CDTC Day 5

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Good morning, says Alan Jans. Good morning, we all response, almost eagerly, awaiting the next words that will come. We will be receiving extra points for our team? Is there a summary of the days events? Will he surprise us all with a clever joke or perhaps a long lost nugget from the PADI treasure trove of instructor development? A tip that he has withheld for the last 10 years? The holy grail of marketing that will cause all dive business within a 100 mile radius to flood your doorway? Perhaps today is the day he has waited for soooo long. He patiently bided his time all these years, perhaps there was no one worthy enough, no one deserving. Read more about Day 4 at the CDTC

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Other then the American rubbing their Independence Day celebrations in the face of the Brits, the day went very well. As with every morning, it was breakfast in La Cuna (the main eatery where we breakfast and lunch daily) followed by a 8am start. The first topic of the day was Instructor Development Standards followed by the Prescriptive Teaching Workshop. Standards are what guide every class a PADI instructor teaches. These are the “how, where and how many” questions that we answer every time we hit the classroom or pool. As Course Directors, we are looked at as experts when questions arise regarding interpreting standards. We don’t need to know all the standards but we do need to know where to look to find them. Read more about PADI CDTC Day 3

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So Chris Langehaug and I are attending the PADI Course Director Training Course in the Dominican Republic. Basically we are learning how to teach people to teach people to blow bubbles, becoming Instructor Trainers. Here are some of our adventures... Read more about PADI CDTC - The First Two Days

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Ever winter we gear up for a day or two of diving under the ice. I'm always amazed at the looks we get when we mention ice diving. There are always those who ask an incredulous, "WHY?" But there are others who are 100% as soon as they hear about it. I think it is one of the best-"been there, done that" dives in the sport. Hands down, you will win any battle of the stories when you break out the one about the time you went under the ice!! Read more about Ice Dive = Nice Dive?

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Over 17,000 island make up Indonesia and off the island of Sulawesi is located one of the most bio-diverse areas in the world! Between muck and reef diving, you will see more new critters than you have seen in your whole dive career. Read more about Indonesia Trip